If ever there was one developer thought of the grasp of constructing sequels, Sucker Punch would have a robust case for the accolade. With Sly 2: Band of Thieves and inFAMOUS 2 already in its again catalogue, the Bellevue studio has upped its sport yet again for Ghost of Yotei.
5 years of increasing and enhancing upon Ghost of Tsushima has produced the strongest of evolutionary follow-ups and the workforce’s best achievement so far.
It’s a sequel that doubles down on every part the unique obtained proper, works to deal with its pitfalls, after which leans into discovery and freedom by loosening the reins on its new open world. Ghost of Yotei just isn’t the form of sport that may flip detractors of its predecessor into converts — it’s a greater Ghost of Tsushima updating the framework of the 2020 title. Whereas acquainted, the result’s a first-class and rewarding instance of present open world design.
This has been achieved by transferring over 300 years by historical past to the northern island of Japan surrounding Mount Yōtei. In 1603, former protagonist Jin Sakai is a mere figment of the previous. Taking his place is Atsu, an Onryō in search of revenge for the homicide of her mother and father. The search makes every member of the Yōtei Six a goal, as Atsu works to find their areas and exert retribution. With shades of The Final of Us Half II, it’s a thirst for vengeance that runs deep.
Atsu has waited 16 years to precise revenge, permitting her loads of time to replicate on that evening and the occasions main as much as it. Key items of context and divulges are drip-fed all through the marketing campaign in playable flashbacks that flesh out the story and tease a level of thriller.
Concurrently, the 2 timelines play off each other to supply understanding of each the previous and current, and why Atsu might really feel a sure method about issues. She meets her supporters, critics, and lots of in between throughout the narrative, establishing emotional and attention-grabbing beats that increase the plot past its origins.
Retribution in opposition to the Yōtei Six stays the general aim of the title, although, and it provides you a point of freedom to hunt them down whereas nonetheless telling a crafted, linear story. The map opens up in phases, so there’s a pre-determined construction and order to the marketing campaign.
Not like Murderer’s Creed Shadows, which gave you nearly full freedom to pursue each antagonist of its revenge story directly, Sucker Punch nonetheless has management in Ghost of Yotei. That is to its profit, offering a worthwhile account of Atsu’s journey that’s filled with suspense and thrills.
All of this performs out throughout the open world of Ezo, a playspace related in measurement to Ghost of Tsushima. This time, the developer has embraced freedom by stripping again the options that may sometimes information you in the direction of landmarks, facet content material, and missions. The wind will as soon as once more direct you in the direction of markers you place on the map, however Ezo has been designed in a method to incite curiosity.
Quests aren’t spoon-fed to you; as an alternative, targets are earned by serving to NPCs and interrogating enemies. A fog of conflict covers the complete map, which means it gained’t have any markers on it till you actually go to the landmarks and uncover the facet actions. Even after figuring out locations of curiosity by your spyglass, they’re scribbled on the map like rumours reasonably than confirmed areas.
This permits the open world to be huge sufficient with out feeling overwhelming. Missions and facet quests are tracked by a brand new clues system, charting the place to go 1000’s of metres away. Nonetheless, within the second, the open world solely feels as massive so far as the attention can see.
You are feeling compelled to examine in on the villages off to the facet, seek for loot, and full non-compulsory actions — assured within the truth it’ll be a worthwhile endeavour.
Ghost of Yotei brings again the bamboo strikes, fox dens, scorching springs, and shrines from the primary sport, and provides to the vary of pursuits with Sumi-E work, wolf dens, enemy camps, and bounties. The sport is reserved and deliberate in its positioning of those actions throughout the map to make sure you don’t tire of a selected sort.
New gear and upgrades are among the many rewards for ticking each off, and so they funnel into an open world loop of pleasing exploration and progress. As a result of there’s no mounted method of selecting up a lead on a Yōtei Six goal, generally the most effective factor to do is solely search the setting. There’ll all the time be some form of alternative ready, like an enemy soldier to pressure data out of or a brand new attraction to boost your stats.
The hub for all that story-based information is the Wolf Pack menu on the pause display screen. Right here, the necessary characters you meet all through the journey provide you with a warning to new objects they’re promoting or quest updates. As well as, when making camp out within the valleys of Ezo, members of your Wolf Pack can go to and produce these sources on to you.
Nonetheless, it’s rendered nearly fully redundant by different options and choices within the sport. As an alternative of crafting new arrows and ammunition beneath the evening sky, you’ll be able to simply hold your shares topped up by looting the enemy camps you’re already visiting. Then, quick journey is close to immediate, so you’ll be able to simply go to the seller you want as an alternative of hoping they seem at camp.
One mechanic unique to the camp is the flexibility to cook dinner meals, however the boosts they provide to offence and defence are short-term and fairly minimal. The Wolf Pack menu and the concept of tenting are two options we ultimately skipped fully, as there are higher and extra rapid methods of sourcing the knowledge and enhancements they supply.
Even then, regardless of what number of upgrades you may have stacked on prime of Atsu, fight poses a worthy problem all through the entire marketing campaign. Instead of the stance system from the unique title are extra weapons to make use of in particular conditions. The only katana works finest in opposition to different sword wielders, and the twin katanas overwhelm polearm customers. Then, the massive odachi is supposed to take down bigger enemies, Atsu’s personal spear works finest in opposition to twin wielders, and the kusarigama breaks shields.
When you may keep on with a single weapon sort if you happen to actually wished, the concept is to adapt your offence to no matter foe is in entrance of you. By the top of the sport, you’ll have 5 predominant weapons to select from, and it may be troublesome remembering the professionals and cons of every one within the second, as you rapidly swap between targets in a battle.
They nonetheless show an efficient evolution of the fight system from Ghost of Tsushima, nonetheless. Atsu can then utilise ranged weapons like a bow and arrow and the brand new flintlock rifle, in addition to a variety of instruments resembling cloaking mist, throwable bombs, and the flexibility to set her blade on fireplace.
It’s a powerful arsenal that may be upgraded by varied talent timber that unlock new strikes and enhance present ones. Recycling the Spirit system from the unique to set off particular assaults, Atsu can kill her enemies in fashion. Including to that’s the capability to disarm enemies and throw their weapon again at them for a simple kill.
Stealth stays an possibility, notably as you infiltrate an enemy camp sight unseen. Nonetheless, there’s much less of an emphasis on this fashion of strategy within the sequel.
Yet one more characteristic new to Ghost of Yotei is the wolf. Pre-release footage might have given you the impression it’s a continuing companion you’ll be able to rely on, however this isn’t the case. As an alternative, the wolf is extra like a random occasion that occurs throughout fight. You’ll be able to improve it by finishing wolf dens throughout the open world, which makes it seem extra incessantly. Nonetheless, it’s not an animal you’ll be able to merely name upon like your horse. It’s a pleasant bonus to have, as it could possibly kill enemies and distract others — simply don’t count on it to be there each time you want it.
With so many fight choices at your disposal, together with a significant open world filled with discovery, Sucker Punch has crafted an expertise filled with selection. The best way you’ll be able to go from Sumi-E portray to clearing enemy camps, all with a shrine climb and a fox den in between, is refreshing. It’s a rewarding and interesting loop of samurai simulation from all angles.
You’ll be able to look good whereas doing it too, by way of an in depth quantity of customisation choices. Weapon kits give your blades a brand new look and color, whereas upgrading armour fingers it contemporary visuals and equipment. Mixed with charms that allow you to provide you with your personal character construct, you may make your Atsu look vastly totally different to anybody else’s.
In truth, Ghost of Yotei is an trade chief in most graphical aspects. Similar to how the primary sport closed the PS4 era with beautiful vistas and surroundings, the sequel does the identical on PS5. Now within the fields and mountains surrounding Mount Yōtei, it enchants with lovely landscapes and fairly villages of the Edo interval. It’s comfortably one of the vital hanging video games on PS5 at a distance, however it suffers barely in close-ups.
Some minor characters within the background of a scene and random NPCs strolling about city look particularly poor in opposition to the attractive backdrop of the general title. Their faces specifically lack element, and even Atsu can fall sufferer to the variation in high quality. Whereas she seems excellent in cutscenes, there’s a notable drop in requirements if you happen to deliver her in shot throughout open world traversal. It’s a minor blemish general, although, as the sport typically stuns on PS5 Professional.
Sucker Punch has additionally put some admirable work into utilising the PS5 DualSense controller at each alternative. You’ve obtained the same old use of adaptive triggers and haptic suggestions, however the developer then goes above and past to include the touchpad.
On the central button, you’ll be able to swipe in 4 instructions to observe the wind, play a musical instrument, bow, and both draw or put your weapon away. It’s then additionally used to copy Sumi-E portray and the plucking of strings in your Shamisen instrument. The sport even employs gentle movement controls to copy the hanging of a hammer on metal as you improve weapons on the forge, and to cook dinner meals on a campfire.
This may be essentially the most complete use of the complete PS5 controller so far — a powerful feat from the studio and a robust instance of what will be completed with sufficient effort.
Equally, the sequel’s vary of graphics modes is simply as strong. There are three accessible on base PS5 and a fourth for PS5 Professional homeowners. High quality Mode presents 30fps at a “larger decision”, Efficiency Mode targets 60fps at a “decrease decision”, and a selected Ray Tracing Mode allows the lighting characteristic and targets 30fps. For these on PS5 Professional, you’ll be able to go for a Ray Tracing Professional mode that targets 60fps at an “intermediate decision”.
For our whole 50-hour playthrough, we used the Ray Tracing Professional setting and located it an unimaginable method to expertise the sport. With no indicators of bugs or glitches, Ghost of Yotei appears like a really premium launch. So far as the attention can see, the PS5 sport stays regular all through and appears attractive doing it.
The workforce rounds out its suite of choices with three bonus modes related in fashion to what it had within the unique. Kurosawa mode, with its black and white visuals impressed by Akira Kurosawa, returns alongside two new ones: Miike mode and Watanabe mode. The previous, by the affect of Takasha Miike, will increase the quantity of blood and grime, and tightens the digital camera to extra of an over-the-shoulder perspective. The latter relies on the work of Shinichirō Watanabe and provides lo-fi beats and music over the gameplay and menus.
None of those choices really feel acceptable in your first playthrough, however they feed into the concepts and ideas powering the expertise: a celebration of Japanese tradition and samurai. That’s precisely what Ghost of Yotei is.
